Ilya
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Based on episode #35 'The Russians Are Coming'. James Hayward is sad to see his new friend Ilya forced to return to the Soviet Union against his will. But a surprise is waiting for Hayward after he leaves the airport...
1. Outsmarting The Soviets

James Hayward felt terrible. He knew that his new friend Ilya hadn't really wanted to return to the Soviet Union. He had no idea what the young man had been threatened with that had forced him to make the untrue statements at the airport, but he knew that it must have been pretty bad.

Hayward wondered what things would be like for Ilya once he was back home in Russia. Would he be persecuted for his attempted defection? Ilya was only nineteen. Hayward hoped that what had occurred in the United States wouldn't negatively impact the rest of his life.

With a heavy heart, Hayward decided to stop by his uncle's shed where Ilya had hidden until his teammates had found him just to make sure that everything was in order. He was shocked by what he found as soon as he opened the door.

"Ilya!" he exclaimed. "How in the world did you get back in here?"

"I sneak off airplane." Ilya grinned at his own cleverness. "I tell them that I am going to use restroom, but instead, I sneak out of emergency exit."

"Man! You are one sharp dude." Hayward was impressed. "I underestimated you."

"I want to stay in America. I do what I have to do."

"So I see." Hayward shook his head in wonder. "Well, well. So you're here to stay now."

"That is correct." Ilya looked elated.

"Well, I'm real happy for you," Hayward told him. "But you can't stay here at my uncle's forever, you know."

"I know that. Your coach, Mr. Reeves, he offer to help me."

"Well, let's go see him again, then. He's gonna be awfully surprised to see you still here. Both of us were sure you were on that plane back to Russia."

"He is good man. I am glad I meet him. Glad I meet you too, Hayward. You are very good friend."

"Yeah, well, let's go find him."

Together, Hayward and Ilya left for Coach Reeves' home.


	2. Finding A Job

Ken Reeves was indeed surprised, but also happy, to find that Ilya was still in the United States, after all.

"When I saw that airplane take off, I thought that all hope was gone," he told the young man. "I'm so glad you were clever enough to outsmart the Soviets. Welcome to your new home in the United States, my friend. And like I said, I'll do everything I can to help you."

After all the legal paperwork granting Ilya permanent asylum in the United States had been completed, the next step for him was to find a job. Day after day he walked the streets of the city, putting in one application after another. Some managers shook their heads as soon as they heard him speak. One asked him what country he was from before he could even finish a sentence.

"We don't hire no Commie spies to work here," the man said rudely when Ilya told him.

"I am not spy," Ilya protested. "I am honest man who needs means of support." But the man had already turned away.

That evening Reeves saw Ilya walk through the door looking dejected and felt sad. "No luck today?" he asked.

Ilya shook his head. "One man call me a Commie spy, but I am no spy. I love United States. It is land of freedom. I would never betray my new home."

Reeves patted Ilya's shoulder sympathetically. "I've got some connections. Let me see what I can do."

The next day, he asked the other teachers at the school if they knew of anyone who was hiring. One teacher said that the restaurant at which she regularly ate had just lost one of their busboys.

"That sounds like just what Ilya's looking for," Reeves told her. Right away he contacted the restaurant's manager.

"I heard that you had an opening for a busboy, and I know of a fine young man whom I would like to recommend for the job," he said. "His name is Ilya, and he recently defected from the Soviet Union. He wants very badly to make it in the United States, and he's just looking for someone to give him a chance."

The manager was silent for a few minutes, and Reeves feared another rejection. He didn't know how many more rejections Ilya could take before he gave up and regretted his decision to defect.

"Tell him to come in and meet me, and I'll see what I can do," the man finally said.

Reeves relayed the message to Ilya, who was overjoyed and went to the restaurant to talk to the manager right away.

Anxiously the high school coach awaited the return of his young friend. He was vastly relieved when Ilya returned with a big smile on his face.

"I talk to him, and he give me job!" Ilya exclaimed happily. "I start work tomorrow. I can't wait!"

"I'm happy for you." Reeves gave him a quick hug. "Good luck. I'm sure you'll do fine."


	3. Winning A Scholarship

Ilya proved to be a hard, diligent worker, and his new boss soon came to highly value him; so much so, in fact, that the man called Reeves to thank him for the recommendation.

"Ilya is an ideal employee," he said. "He's always at work on time, and he does as much work as two of my other employees. I never see him goofing off. If only all my employees were like Ilya, I'd be a happy man."

Ilya was also very happy with his new life. "It is wonderful to live in United States," he said. "I can watch whatever movie I want, read whatever book I want, never have to worry about who might be watching me. I love it!"

One day Ilya found out about an engineering scholarship he could apply for.

"All I have to do is take test," he told Reeves. "If I score high enough on test, I will win scholarship. It covers tuition, books, and other expenses."

"That's great!" said Reeves. "I'll be rooting for you."

Ilya frowned. "Rooting?"

Reeves laughed. "I hope you get it, Ilya."

The day of the test came, and Ilya took the bus to the college campus where the exam was being administered.

"So how do you think you did?" Reeves asked him that evening.

"It was very hard. I do the best I can," Ilya told him.

"Well, that's all any of us can do," said Reeves.

Weeks passed. Ilya continued to work at the restaurant and put the scholarship at the back of his mind. He'd almost forgotten about it when he received some news that made him very happy.

"I won scholarship!" he told Reeves excitedly. "They tell me I got perfect score on test. Only one who did."

"Congratulations!" Reeves said proudly, genuinely thrilled for his young friend. "I knew you could do it!"


	4. All The Thanks I Want

The Saturday before Ilya started classes at UCLA, Reeves threw a party for him and invited the entire basketball team. Coolidge, Thorpe, Salami, Hayward, Reese, Gomez, Goldstein, Vitaglia, Franklin, Stone, Falahey, Mitchel, and Rutherford all came.

"So you're off to college now!" Hayward greeted his friend. "That's cool!"

"I am going to study engineering, like I did in Soviet Union," Ilya told him.

"How about a basketball game, for old times' sake?" Reeves suggested. Everyone eagerly agreed.

Everything was going fine until it looked as if Ilya and Salami had caught the ball at the same time. Reeves wasn't sure what to do, but as it had looked to him as if Ilya's hand had touched the ball a fraction of a second before Salami's, he awarded the ball to Ilya.

"No, it is his ball," said Ilya. "He touched it right before I did."

"I'm sorry," said Reeves. "My mistake."

Salami gave Ilya a grateful look.

Later in the day, Ilya and Hayward were discussing the game.

"What did you do that for?" Hayward asked Ilya. "It was your ball. Reeves gave it to you."

"But he _did _touch it before I did," said Ilya. "It was only right that he should have it."

Hayward shook his head. "You're too damn nice, Ilya. It's gonna be pretty damn easy for people to take advantage of you."

At last the party was over and the others left, leaving Reeves and Ilya alone.

"I do have to say that I admire your honesty," Reeves told Ilya. "That's the first time I've ever seen anything like that happen before. The world would sure be a better place if more people in it were like you."

"Hayward say I am _too _nice. He say people will take advantage of me."

"He's right. You _do _have to be very careful about who you trust."

"I trust you, Reeves. And I trust Hayward. Both of you have been very good to me. I hope that someday I can return favor."

Reeves patted Ilya's shoulder. "Do your best in college, Ilya. That's all the thanks I want."


End file.
